In recent years, air cleaners for cleaning air in living space by ions have been put to practical use. In an air cleaner, an ion generation device for generating positive and negative ions is provided inside an air-blowing passage through which air sucked from outside by an air blower flows, and the generated ions are discharged outside together with air to be discharged. The discharged ions inactivate airborne articles in living space such as the interior of a room, kill floating bacteria (such as mold fungi), and change properties of odorous components. As a result, air in living space is cleaned.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-29665 discloses a “ceiling-embedded” air conditioner including a plasma generation device (ion generation device) in an indoor unit. The plasma generation device generates substances such as ions, ozone and hydroxyl radicals to decompose odorous components, fungi and viruses and render them harmless.
A conventional ceiling-embedded air conditioner having an air cleaning function incorporates an ion generation device in advance. When an ion generation device is provided in a ceiling-embedded air conditioner incorporating no ion generation device, the ceiling-embedded air conditioner that has already been placed must be extensively modified.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its object is to provide an ion generator and an air cleaner capable of efficiently diffusing ions into living space by utilizing wind generated by an air blower of an air conditioner, for example, provided on a place such as a wall, without modifying the air blower.
The present invention provides an ion generator including a casing that includes: an inlet through which air can flow in from outside; and an outlet through which air can flow out to outside, the casing being internally provided with: an air passage through which the inlet and the outlet are connected to each other; and an ion generation device for discharging ions into the air passage, wherein the casing has, at its outer surface, an inclined wind guide surface, and the inlet is provided at the wind guide surface.
In the present invention, air sent from outside is blown against the inclined wind guide surface at the outer surface of the casing, and flows along the wind guide surface; in addition, part of the air flows into the casing through the inlet provided in the wind guide surface, and the ions discharged into the air passage from the ion generation device are added to the part of the air when it flows through the air passage, so that ion-containing air flows out to outside through the outlet.
One aspect of the present invention provides the ion generator, wherein the casing includes another outer surface that forms an acute angle with the wind guide surface and serves as an attachment surface for an attachment target, wherein the inlet is provided in a region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, wherein a first outlet is provided in a region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, wherein a second outlet is provided in a region of the casing at which an end of the wind guide surface provided with the first outlet is connected to the attachment surface, wherein the air passage is internally provided with a guide portion by which part of air flowing from the inlet toward the second outlet is guided to the first outlet, and wherein the ion generation device is provided closer to the inlet than the guide portion.
In the present invention, the attachment surface, i.e., another outer surface of the casing, which forms an acute angle with the wind guide surface, is attached to the attachment target. When air sent from an external air blower in a direction along the attachment surface is blown against the inclined wind guide surface from the region thereof, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, toward the region thereof, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, the air flows along the wind guide surface; in addition, part of the air flows into the casing through the inlet provided in the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, to flow through the air passage, and the ions discharged from the ion generation device are added to the part of the air when it flows through the air passage. The ion-containing air flows toward the second outlet provided in the region of the casing through which the end of the wind guide surface having the first outlet located in the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, is connected to the attachment surface, and then flows out to outside through the second outlet. Part of the air flowing toward the second outlet is guided toward the first outlet by the guide portion provided inside the air passage, and flows out to outside through the first outlet to merge with the air flowing along the wind guide surface.
Another aspect of the present invention provides the ion generator, wherein each of the inlet and the first outlet is a slit opening extended in parallel with a direction in which the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, and the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, are connected to each other, and a plurality of the slit openings are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, and the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, are connected to each other, and wherein the inlet and the first outlet are located in the same position in the arrangement direction.
In the present invention, the inlets and the first outlets (which form the plurality of slit openings arranged in the direction intersecting the direction in which the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, and the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, are connected to each other) are located in the same positions in the arrangement direction. Therefore, air, which flows into the casing through the inlet and to which the ions are added when the air flows through the air passage, is allowed to flow out to outside smoothly from the first outlet located in the same position as the inlet in the arrangement direction; in addition, when the air flows out to outside, the air is merged with air stably flowing along regions of the wind guide surface on both sides of the inlet and the first outlet, i.e., the slit opening, where no opening is formed, and is thus efficiently diffused into external space.
Still another aspect of the present invention provides the ion generator, wherein the inlet and the first outlet are continuous with each other in a direction in which the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, and the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, are connected to each other, so that the inlet and the first outlet form a slit opening extended in parallel with the direction in which the inlet and the first outlet are continuous with each other, and a plurality of the slit openings are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, and the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, are connected to each other.
In the present invention, the inlet and the first outlet (which are arranged in the direction intersecting the direction in which the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is shorter, and the region of the wind guide surface, the distance of which from the attachment surface is longer, are connected to each other) are continuous with each other so as to form the single slit opening. Therefore, the ratio between openings serving as the inlets and openings serving as the first outlets is suitably changed in accordance with, for example, flow rate, flow velocity and direction of air flowing along the wind guide surface.
Further, air, which flows into the casing through the slit opening serving as the inlet and to which the ions are added when the air flows through the air passage, is allowed to flow out to outside smoothly from the first outlet of the same slit opening; in addition, when the air flows out to outside, the air is merged with air stably flowing along regions of the wind guide surface on both sides of the slit opening, where no opening is formed, and is thus efficiently diffused into external space.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides the ion generator, wherein a width of each of a plurality of the slit openings in the arrangement direction thereof is wider than a distance between ends of the slit openings adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction thereof.
In the present invention, since the proportion of the inlets and the first outlets, serving as the slit openings, in the wind guide surface is large, the amount of air flowing into the casing and flowing out to outside is increased, thus making it possible to discharge a larger amount of ions into a room.
Still yet another aspect of the present invention provides the ion generator, wherein the guide portion is a plate piece protruded from an inner surface of the casing toward an inner region of the air passage.
In the present invention, the guide portion can be easily formed by erecting the plate piece on the inner surface of the casing.
Another aspect of the present invention provides the ion generator, wherein the ion generation device has an ion generation part for discharging ions toward opposite to the attachment surface.
In the present invention, the ion generation part for discharging ions toward opposite to the attachment surface can efficiently discharge ions to air that is sent in the direction along the attachment surface so as to be blown against the wind guide surface and flows into the casing through the inlet so as to flow through the air passage along the attachment surface.
The present invention provides an air cleaner for cleaning air discharged from a discharge port of an air conditioner placed on a ceiling, wherein the air cleaner includes: a main body having an ion generation part for discharging ions for cleaning air discharged from the discharge port; and attachment means for fixing the main body to a region of a ceiling surface located downstream of the discharge port.
In the present invention, the main body of the air cleaner is placed downstream of the given discharge port of the air conditioner by using the attachment means such as a screw, thus making it possible to clean the air discharged from the given discharge port and to supply the cleaned air toward a given area of the interior of a room.
Furthermore, the main body is placed downstream of the given discharge port of the air conditioner, and thus the air cleaner can be more easily used in combination with an existing air conditioner as compared with a case where the main body is placed inside the air conditioner
Another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the main body preferably has: a seating to which the ion generation part is fixed; and a cover for covering the ion generation part, and wherein the cover is preferably provided with: an introduction port through which air discharged from the discharge port of the air conditioner is introduced; and an outlet through which the ions are discharged together with the air introduced to inside of the cover from the introduction port.
In the present invention, the cover having the introduction port and the outlet covers the ion generation part, thereby making it possible to protect the ion generation part and to allow the air cleaned by the ions and flow of the ions to be discharged from the outlet in a given direction.
Still another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the main body preferably includes at least one spacer interposed between the seating and the ceiling surface, and wherein the attachment means preferably includes: a seating fixation member for fixing the seating to the spacer; and a spacer fixation member for fixing the spacer to the ceiling surface.
In the present invention, one or a plurality of the spacers are interposed between the seating and the ceiling surface, thus making it possible to perform positioning of the introduction port of the cover in accordance with position and/or wind direction of the discharge port.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the spacer fixation member is preferably a screw, wherein the spacer preferably has a screw hole through which the screw for fixing the spacer to the ceiling surface is inserted, and wherein the seating is preferably provided with an opening so that a planar location of the opening and that of the screw hole of the spacer correspond to each other.
In the present invention, the seating or the spacer can be screwed to the ceiling surface at the same position. In other words, the spacer can be selectively used. Accordingly, at a given position of the ceiling surface, an anchor is embedded in a ceiling in advance, for example, so that an attachment position for the screw is formed; then, the seating or the spacer can be screwed to the ceiling surface at the attachment position where a shared anchor, for example, is located.
Still yet another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the air cleaner preferably further includes guide means provided inside the cover and opposite to the introduction port with respect to the ion generation part, the guide means guiding an air flow inside the cover downward.
In the present invention, the air cleaned inside the cover can be smoothly guided downward by the guide means. Thus, the amount of the cleaned air supplied to the given area can be increased.
Another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the guide means is preferably molded integrally with the cover by filling part of the outlet of the cover.
In the present invention, the air cleaned inside the cover can be smoothly guided downward by the guide means formed integrally with the cover. Besides, since the guide means is formed by an inner peripheral surface of the cover, the cover and the guide means are extremely easily molded.
Still another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the cover is preferably openable by being rotated in a direction in which the cover moves away from the air conditioner.
In the present invention, the cover can be opened by being rotated in a direction in which the cover moves away from the air conditioner, thus making it possible to easily open and close the cover while preventing the cover from colliding with the air conditioner.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein the cover preferably has: a cover main body; and a hinge portion protruded from the cover main body toward the seating, and wherein the hinge portion is preferably rotatably connected to the seating.
In the present invention, the cover is connected to the seating only through the hinge portion protruded from the cover main body, and thus the cover is easily detached.
Still yet another aspect of the present invention provides the air cleaner, wherein at an externally exposed outer peripheral surface of the seating, there is preferably formed a pull-out hole through which an electric wire for connection with the ion generation part is pulled out.
In the present invention, the electric wire can be pulled out from the outer peripheral surface of the seating through the pull-out hole formed at the outer peripheral surface of the seating. Hence, routing of the electric wire along the ceiling surface is considerably facilitated.
According to the present invention, air sent from an external air blower is blown against the inclined wind guide surface at the outer surface of the casing, and is allowed to flow along the wind guide surface, while part of the air is allowed to flow into the casing through the inlet provided in the wind guide surface, so that the ions are added to the part of the air flowing through the air passage inside the casing and then the resulting air is allowed to flow out to outside. Thus, there is provided the ion generator capable of efficiently diffusing the ions into living space by utilizing wind generated by an air blower of an air conditioner, for example, provided on a place such as a wall, without modifying the air blower.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the two types of the outlets are provided in different regions of the casing so that part of air, which flows into the casing through the inlet provided in the wind guide surface and flows toward the second outlet after addition of the ions, is guided toward the first outlet by the guide portion provided at the wind guide surface, and the air flows out to outside through the first and second outlets. Thus, there is provided the ion generator capable of more efficiently diffusing the ions into living space.
The air cleaner according to the present invention is capable of supplying the cleaned air toward the given area of the interior of a room. Besides, the air cleaner according to the present invention is easily used in combination with an existing air conditioner.